Monday, December 28, 2009

I've had a few requests for some recent pics of his Highness.(or more accurately, his shortness lol)So here are a few random pics. He sure does grow a fuzzy, thick, plush winter coat. Here's Voodoo out in the back pasture, taken October 30, sporting his already thick winter hair: What a nice, wintery looking picture... really though there is hardly any snow on the ground. Almost all of the "white" in this December 4th pic is hoar frost. It was still pretty mild out, I was wearing a fall jacket, no hat, no gloves.

A few short days later, December 7th, we moved the horses back to the corrals by the barn for winter feeding. The temps dropped quite a bit. I had finally broken out the winter coat, complete with hat and gloves. And the horses were all blanketed. Of course this guy thinks that whenever I'm out there its to dote on him! lol

Thursday, December 17, 2009

I wandered over to Mrs Mom's and read a story that must be shared. Its not a nice, happy, warm holiday story. Instead its a story of abuse and neglect. A mare was attacked by a dog or group of dogs. Her wounds are pretty severe. And her owner, Amber, did nothing.

N-O-T-H-I-N-G!

Instead flyinghorse2 fought to have the horse removed and placed where it could be properly taken care of. Now "Ladybug" (who is almost surely going to have a new name to symbolize her new life) is in the hands of Beauty's Haven Farm & Equine Rescue. She is on the road to recovery, be it with one ear instead of two.**warning, clicking the link to beautyequinerescue will result in graphic photos of the wounds, if you'd rather not see them but would like more info click the flyinghorse2 link**
Money is tight, tighter than usual for some this year. And its Christmas which makes it even harder to come up with extra cash. However if any of you out there can spare some to donate to help with this tough little mare's medical expenses please check out flyinghorse2 and beautyequinerescue

Some parting words for Amber... if you truly cared about your horse and took proper care of her you wouldn't have to leave statements on the rescue's guestbook about how much you miss her and hope to see her again. I sincerely hope that poor mare never has to lay eyes on you again! Also if your other animals are in as poor of condition as is being reported I hope that soon they are re-homed as well.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Continuing our tour down the wooden sidewalks of Boomtown we have now reached the General Store. And what a store! Truly 'one stop shopping' with goods of all kinds tucked into every nook and cranny.

What all can you see here? Oil lamps (plain and fancy), china, snow shoes, washboards, clocks...

kettles, candy sold by the piece (bet "penny candy" was actually worth a penny!) All kinds of grocery items - it was pretty neat to see brands that are still around today such as Blue Ribbon, Magic Baking Powder, Nabob and Maxwell House...

Oh look, the storekeeper and a friend are playing a friendly game of checkers. And yet more inventory! Potatoes, corn and other veggies, dolls, cheese, candlesticks, various implements that I really don't know what to call! Bolts of cloth, some "ready made" garments...

And to ring up your purchases there was this rather beautiful cash register

Although I have to say from the operator's side it looks a wee bit intimidating!

Monday, December 14, 2009

In the harness shop at Boomtown there were a few saddles. How would you like to be a lady of the frontier days and ride side saddle?Not surprising that there was quite a bit of harness hanging in the shop. I can only imagine all the time that went into cleaning all that leather before it was put in the display!

The livery was next to the Harness Shop (which was pictured in the previous post) and conveniently located on the other side of the livery was Galston's, the local blacksmith's shop. I cannot imagine how difficult that work was in days of yore. IMO being a farrier is demanding enough work today!

There was a price list posted by a "desk" area near the smithy's door. One side of the list was for wagon and buggy work. A new buggy box, made with old iron, was $10 (extra for using new iron) A new axle would set you back $5. A set of tires started at $1, a single spoke was $0.50.

It was a whopping $0.25 to set a shoe, $0.50 for a new shoe. Interesting, on a stallion it was $1 for a new shoe and $0.75 to set a shoe. And wild broncos were charged "according to meanness"

Galston's being the "general blacksmith" also did work on plows. Sharpening shares to making them. Prices ranged from $0.25 to $5.50.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Monday's are Pie's day off. This past Monday we headed over to Boomtown*Our first stop was the Harness Shop: Looks like someone was doing some Christmas shopping! This lovely fellow and his sleigh were waiting outside with some gifts:

Okay I'll confess... Boomtown is a street at the Western Development Museum! Its supposed to recreate the feeling of early settler life here in Saskatchewan.This is one wall inside the harness shop:

Next to it is the livery:

Which had this beautiful cutter inside:

Stay tuned! I have more pics from the museum to share... but for now I have to bundle up and head off to work.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Wow this week has been C-O-L-D! I'm talking anywhere from -20C to -30C... before windchill was added, which often brought the temps into the -40s (for my American friends that is -4F to -22F before the windchill is added)Sunday it hadn't gotten too cold yet so Ben, Jacquie and I still went penning. As I've mentioned before that is also the day we moved the horses in from the back pasture. When I got back I brought Cessa in to recheck her owie. I left the door open and Applejack wandered in to see what was up.With all three horses in I decided it was a good time to throw their blankets on. I knew there was a chilly week ahead but was originally going to wait until I came out on Monday. I am SO glad I went ahead and put blankets on Sunday evening because it got very cold overnight.Monday I took pics of the kids in their winter clothes:

Applejack is modeling last year's Wrangler blanket. It came in a khaki/tan-ish colour with navy. Its a been a tad abused so has some mended spots but overall held up VERY well and is a good blanket. I didn't have any problems with sweat or moisture with this blanket last year.(Applejack would like to ask that you please ignore the fact that he has gotten a bit tubby and his belly hangs out a bit)

Voodoo modeling his brand new Weatherbeeta. It came with a removable neck piece and is in shades of green. I love these blankets; they are breathable, very water-resistant and have a nice comfy fit.

Cessa modeling her new blanket. And you know what... I can not for the life of me remember what kind it is! It is a gorgeous chocolatey brown with blue and cream lines. The lines are "glow in the dark". It was advertised as water resistant/breathable. Originally it was to be for Voodoo but didn't fit him well, kinda choked up on his neck too much when he went to put his head down. That was okay because it fit Cessa nicely. I like a blanket with a bit more drape on her, the poor old girl doesn't need to waste as many calories staying warm with a blanket that covers down her legs and around her belly!

I feel quite relieved, not only do the horses have a nice big bale of hay, water from an automatic waterer and a shelter but they have good winter clothes to help them deal with this weather :)

Monday, December 7, 2009

The horses have been moved in from the back pasture. Yay, this means no more worrying about frozen water and how much nutrition is left in the dead fall grass!They were all being moved on Sunday so when I caught Voodoo to go penning I also caught Cessa and Applejack. Ben & Jacquie pulled up just when I was closing the gate so we put Voodoo in the trailer and Jacquie & I led Cessa and Applejack across. When we let them go in the pasture Jacquie said "Oh no" and I almost knew before I looked. Sure enough Cessa had blood on her hind end... that kick I saw one of the other horses throw when they were coming to the gate had connected.Cessa followed us to the barn and I let her in so I could take a better look at it. It was pretty similar to the one Voodoo got on his shoulder a few weeks ago, it just looks sooo much worse because of the way blood freezes (and how frickin red it gets when its cold!)Cessa was walking without favouring her leg, there was no real swelling and she was just a very teeny bit tender. I decided to go penning and stopped at the house to let Mrs F (Kimfer's mom) know about it so that if they noticed anything they could call me. I also called Kimfer and asked her to check on my poor old girl when she came out.When I got back from penning I brought Cessa and Applejack in so I could put their winter blankets on (dang has it gotten C-O-L-D!) and recheck that leg. She still wasn't favouring it, still no swelling. But now the blood was all clumped and frozen. I held a warm, clean cloth over it and gently peeled off as much of the frozen clumps as I could; which wasn't much. I've decided to keep an eye on it and if it seems that I need to call a vet further into the healing process I will. Its too darn cold to haul Cessa anywhere right now and it doesn't seem like there is much they could do at this point either.Its frustrating, it seems that every winter she gets hurt. (if you need a reminder see here and here) Thank goodness its hasn't ever been anything TOO serious.**knock wood**Hopefully that is the case here too.For those that are curious here are a couple pics taken today:

*The pink/red stuff at the bottom of the pics is frozen blood, not an actual part of the wound itself.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

I think its pretty awesome when a horse and its handler have a good bond.Heck to me its pretty neat that I can loop the lead rope over Voodoo's neck and he'll follow me right over to the trailer, I say "Ok get in" and he pops in. Ok it may not be Stacey Westfall bridleless and bareback reining but still, how many people have to lead their horses in and then still have trouble? lolBut this... this IMO is way cool:

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

I've really been enjoying penning. So much so that I've signed up for a beginner clinic! It will be on December 19th and on December 20th is the last penning before we break for Christmas/New Years.The Sunday before last I even placed! My team was 3rd, the first time my jackpot team has placed. (won a whole $4 too! lol)Then this past Sunday I was pretty proud of my team as well. "Uncle" Ben and Dallas were drawn to be my teammates. We were 'the rookies' and had the fastest time of the whole day! :oUnfortunately our other run was quite slow so we didn't place. The cow I was trying to cut from the herd kept running in circles and I just couldn't quite get in the right place to cut her off and get her out. I did, eventually. But by then the clock had the advantage. Hopefully that clinic will teach me how to avoid/fix that situation!Still, fastest time of the whole day... I'm pretty proud!!!I will also tell my slightly embarrassing story. The one that illustrates just how much of a dork I am:Dallas, Ben & I were sitting on our horses. I was in the middle on Voodoo (remember he's black) with the boys on either side on their grey (white) horses. I said "Hey look, we're a reverse Oreo" to which Dallas (who is 17) replies "Only you would say something like that!"

Monday, November 23, 2009

I had intended to put up a post today here and on CLFC but due to "technical difficulties"

stupid computer

I have been unable to get online until now. And now is almost 2:30 am. This is usually a perfectly fine time for me to be up and online but I was up at 9 this morning (guess that's yesterday morning by now) and have to be up early again today. So if y'all can bear with me for just a teeny bit longer... I will post by later today/tonight.I do have to add that I have MISSED you guys!!!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Today is a very special day. Today is the day that our nation sets aside to pay tribute to, to show respect and to honour those who fought on our behalf. Today is Remembrance Day.

For the last week or so these poppy pins have been seen on many a lapel, shirt, jacket or hat:

Whether or not you agree with war you should respect and honour those willing to fight on your behalf. They are the ones that guarantee your rights and freedoms. It is because of them that you are allowed to share your opinions out loud and for the world to hear.

Remembrance Day ceremonies will be held across the country and the phrases "Never Forget" and "Lest We Forget" will be said many a time. I believe Remembrance Day is important but I also believe that we should hold this feeling in our hearts not just on this one day but throughout the year.

And so to the following I dedicate my thoughts today:

the 619,636 men and women who served in the Canadian forces in World War I

and of those the 66,655 that gave their lives

and the 172, 950 that were wounded

*this from a nation of only 8 million at the time*

the more than one million Canadian men and women that served in World War II

the more than 45,000 of them that gave their lives for our peace and freedom

to those soldiers who have put their lives at risk for us, and others, in many countries such as Cypress, Korea, and the middle East.

to those who are currently in Afghanistan and the 133 who have given their lives there

and to the many more injured and those currently serving.

God Bless you and Thank you.

Last Saturday was the funeral of Lt. Justin Boyes, killed in Afghanistan on October 28th. The funeral was here in my hometown, Saskatoon. A few days after Lt. Boyes was killed Sapper Steven Marshall became the 133rd Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan.

The service and burial were private but the procession allowed members of the public to pay there respect. It was just by chance that my husband and I passed the funeral procession travelling the opposite direction. It moved me to see people lined up on a freeway overpass and on the sides of the road waving our flag.

Lt. Boyes widow has shared with the media her husband's concern that Canada is not supporting its troops.

Recently he told her he was worried that some Canadians are undermining the military's efforts in the ravaged country."Justin and I believe in the mission in Afghanistan," she has said."One of the things that frustrated him was the lack of support from the Canadian citizens he lived to protect. He said recently, 'we're not losing this war, but if we do, it's because we lost it at home first.'

I may be only one voice but I would like to say I support our military and thank them for what they do. I will honour all of our heroes in my heart, but today I will especially honour the 133 we have lost in Afghanistan.

I've been trying to add video to this post but keep getting an error, so for those of you interested please click Highway of Heroes to visit the YouTube video.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Took a road trip of approximately 700 miles yesterday... left the house around 7:30 in the morning and finally got home around 1 am.Kimfer's mare, Isis, hasn't been "right" for awhile. Nothing too obviously wrong, just not right. One vet says stifle, someone else says nope. So Kimfer decided to make the big trip to Edmonton and take Isis to see Dr Charles. I was able to take the day off work (amazing!) to be her co-pilot (co-pilot/dj) and equine assistant.The trip wasn't too bad, other than a few wrong turns due to lack of signage in construction areas. It was at these times that I reminded Kimfer that my job was co-pilot/dj NOT navigator! lolCharlie is an amazing vet. He used to split his time between his Alberta practice and a practice in the UK. Unlike a lot of vets around here he "limits" himself to horses. I put limits in quotes because it doesn't hurt his practice one bit to provide service exclusively to horses.Charlie works on everything from a basic backyard pony to elite equine athletes that compete internationally. And what I like best is that he treats those backyard ponies with the same consideration and thoroughness that he would an Olympian.The good news is that Kimfer's horse will be okay. She was prescribed rest and to start taking a joint supplement. And no, it wasn't her stifle. She has inflammation in her joints. After spending the winter on light riding duty she should be ready to turn and burn in the spring :)

Monday, October 26, 2009

Some of you may recall (or perhaps not) that last year I flew out to Halifax because my dad was having a kidney transplant. I was talking to him today (he's doing great) and I realized I hadn't shared some stuff that I was meaning to. So without further delay...

My dad (on left) and Uncle David. We were just leaving the hotel to walk over to the hospital. (yes it was that close) The last pic where everyone has all of their original parts:

looking happy but nervous

The staff in Halifax were terrific. Really until Pie was hospitalized this summer I haven't had too great of a review to give our local medical community, so I was totally blown away by how wonderful they were! Unfortunately dad did suffer a rather strange side effect after the kidney transplant:

did someone confuse the transplant area with labour & delivery??

Actually that is a proud grandpa with his first grandson, my sis's little guy Lucas. (about 2 1/2 months here).

Dad and Uncle D did great. Both were released much sooner than expected and dad even went back to work earlier than estimated, although with a few changes. Its about time the old man started to slow down! lol

Since we started with the 'before' pic we should end with an 'after'. Here they are again, with a bit of parts scrambling! ;)

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Nope not the Halloween kind either. Just a bunch of stuff to say "boo, bah-humbug" to.What a week. Wednesday I slipped at work and my back has been a pain ever since. Didn't ride because of it but that's probably for the best as I noticed that today it feels much better. (thank goodness!)Penning got cancelled this week, because of sick cows. That makes 2 of the last 3 pennings. And honestly I don't think they were feeling 100% last week. (then again I know next to nothing about cows)Then I watched this documentary called "The Most Hated Family In America". You can access a YouTube clip of the documentary by clicking but caution there is strong language. If you even have to wonder why I say this family deserves a huge "Boo!" then we probably wouldn't get along so much in real life. Its nothing new to have an extreme religious group that is anti-gay but the tangents this family goes off on about the military really ticked me off, I mean seriously - picketing the funerals of soldiers?!Not such a bad week though, I'm sure there are people who are worse off.Oh, and for those of you that requested new pics I tried. Voodoo did not feel like modeling however. Instead he was being a pouty baby because (gasp) I was giving other horses some attention too!! lolA sort of funny story: Kimfer works at a dairy and had 2 really bad days at work in a row. (Wed & Thurs) Thursday night she came into the restaurant for supper and said "I'm so mad at cows that I'm going to eat one... I'm ordering steak tonight!" lol

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I went and tried something new with my little buddy Voodoo on Sunday - Team penning.Its something I've never been too interested in, I had kinda tried it once before but wasn't really interested. Then this fall it was like 'the perfect storm' was created to make me reconsider.I had spent the last two summers team sorting (when not barrel racing) and so had met a great bunch of people. (besides my friends Brenda, Holly & Ace). Also it doesn't look like there will be much for winter barrel racing. Then, the kicker, penning was moved to a new locale. And with it a new day. Its no longer on Friday nights - which I have to work - but Sunday afternoons! And then even better, Pie's day off got changed from Sundays to Mondays. So I could go check out penning without having to feel bad for spending the majority of our day off together doing something without him!I still wasn't sure if it was my thing but I wanted to give it a shot. Kimfer had NO interest in going so I called Auntie Jac & Uncle Ben (actually Kimfer's aunt & uncle but they've been kind enough to 'adopt' me lol). I knew Ben was interested in checking it out and thought maybe they'd let me follow them as I wasn't too sure where I needed to go. Turns out they said Voodoo & I could just catch a ride with them. Sweet!Sunday B & J pulled into the yard, we threw my gear in and loaded up Voodoo and off we went. It was kinda rainy but fairly nice out (oh yeah, the snow is all melted for now!) and in less than an hour we pulled up to Claypool's arena. When I entered I paid the non-member fee and told them that I was new at this. They said no problem, when we draw teams just let your teammates know and they'll show you the ropes.Everyone got put on a team and each team got three goes before the break. After the break the teams were redrawn and again every team went three times. I was fortunate enough to have Fred, a very patient man and a good penner, and Erin, the club president a fun lady and also a good penner & teacher, on my first team.Fred, Erin and I were the 4th team up and we penned all our cattle just as nice as could be! Time limit was 90 seconds and I believe we did it in 58. I was just amazed that we did it. I didn't screw up! lol Sadly the next two turns we penned zero.My second team was with Uncle Ben and Norbert. Poor Norbert, stuck with the two rookies! lol Thank goodness he was patient and a good sport. Our first go we dq'd but the last two we penned all our cattle under the time limit.While I didn't place at all that day I had a blast! So much so that during the break I went to the office and bought a membership. Penning runs every Sunday until about the end of April... I probably won't make it to all of them as there is some barrel racing and I'm sure weather will put a damper on travel for some of the time. But it looks like I've found something to do with my horses this winter! lol

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

This past weekend was the Saskatoon Stampede, a pro level rodeo. My bestie Kimfer and a few other friends were on the drill team this year. I had to miss the performances on Friday and Saturday nights (work) but as Sunday was my day off I was free to go. I went with Kimfer so not only did I get in free (always a bonus) but I got to go "behind the scenes" which was kinda neat.It was kind of a bonus for me to get to go Sunday. Sunday's performance was dedicated to our wonderful country and our troops. A patriot song was played (sorry can't remember what it was called) and the drill team all wore red and white shirts. The shirts had white backs with a maple leaf in the centre of each.I got a bit teary eyed when the drill finished and the girls lined their horses up in the arena while the announcer spoke. He talked about our military and how we should be grateful for them. That it is because they put their lives on the line that we have our freedoms. To not take freedom for granted or lightly. And that it is because of that freedom that we could choose to spend our day there watching that rodeo. Then a spotlight shone on an upper level section of seats. Each seat had a "support our troops" ribbon and a maple leaf. There were over 130 seats and each seat represented a soldier that had made the ultimate sacrifice.I totally admit I got very teary eyed then. My "adopted" sister (one of my sister's good friends) has just left for her tour in Afghanistan. I worry about her but I'm happy for her... as she says "I didn't join the military to sit at home on my ass!"Probably the funniest thing at the rodeo was when the "dresser" was getting the drill team horses ready. She was glittering their butts and got a tad carried away... she glittered 3 of the pickup horses! :o She just realized what she had done when the pickup men came walking her way. She ducked and hid between two horses until they were gone. Of course we all agreed not to tell them, hoping they wouldn't notice. Of course they did and were party poopers and brushed the glitter off.

Now on to the fat calves... I am hugely appreciative for all the support and interest for Cowboys Love Fat Calves.However I don't want to get too carried away and have too many people writing so, for now, all the invites have been sent out.If you didn't get an invite but would still like contribute please consider:a) following and commenting or b) e-mailing me and I would be more than happy to put up a "Guest Post" once every week or so. e-mail lbt933@sasktel.netI hope there are no hurt feelings to the people that did not get an invite. I used my ultimate chicken strategy and just invited the first few people that e-mailed for an invite. I know - verrry scientific! lmao

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Our first snow of the winter. It started as a few flakes. But then it stuck. Yuck.

Thank goodness these are pics from last winter! If we had gotten this much snow for our first snow... yikes.

But it is a glimpse of what we get to look forward to. *sigh* Along with less riding time. Shaggy, hard to cool out horses. Icy roads and stupid drivers who are now also more dangerous. I just loooove winter. lol

Actually I do kinda like it. I like having 4 seasons. I just don't like it when its really cold, couldn't it just stop at -20? Anything colder than that just seems excessive.

This pic was taken when I got home from work tonight, around 11:30 pm. The road is a bit icy, there is just a light layer of snow clinging to the grass.

I'm still hoping it all melts and we don't get any "real" snow, the stuff that lasts all winter, for a few more weeks. After all I'm waiting for the farrier to come out to take shoes off!

To those of you who want to co-blog on CLFC please shoot me an e-mail lbt933@sasktel.net I need to send you an e-mail invitation so that you can join!

Oops silly me, that e-mail link in my previous post didn't work. I should really learn to double check that stuff! Anyhow for those more comfortable with sending an e-mail instead of a comment here it is:

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

*let me apologize in advance if this is rambly and has lots of errors, I'm just going to blurt out stuff and post it... heh heh "bravery"*

Its getting to be fall, and soon winter. The time of year a lot of us start to, umm, plump up. Not too long after that is the time when many of us start to take resolve and try to slim down.This year I am hoping to skip the plumping up part, as I'm more than plump enough, and get a head start on the slim down phase.However I'm the kind of person that needs moral support, encouragement, camaraderie.Here is where you come in. I plan to (re)launch my other blog "Cowboys Love Fat Calves". This time I'm going to bite the bullet (suck it up Buttercup) and make it public.I'm wondering if any of you would like to join me and co-blog??? There is no quota for how often, no "rules" about what and no expectations to completely bare your soul. You write when you want, give out how much info about yourself that you want and share what you find helpful or motivating. Whether it is exercise tips, food advice, inspiring stories, pitfalls to avoid, etc etc.I know there are at least a few like-minded individuals out there, some of you who are feeling trapped inside the wrong body. Some who feel their chair is shrinking. Some that may not be "fat" but could use the power of blogger friends to help them tone up, or avoid the "f" word!I really would like at least a couple of co-bloggers. If that's not your thing I understand. For those of you that are interested please leave a comment or e-mail me.To everyone else - CLFC will be going public by next Monday. Feel free to read and comment. But please remember it will be a place for encouragement so Negative Nelly's can just keep their opinions to themselves.

Monday, October 5, 2009

I'm not. I used to think its because I'm "heavy" but I know a lot of large people that are photogenic. Then there are the non-photogenic slim people. So there goes my excuse! :pA lot of people don't like to have their picture taken, Kimfer is a great example. I have plenty of pics with Kimfer's hand waved at the camera blocking her face. lolA few people have asked to see pics from barrel racing and I've decided to (as Kimfer likes to say) suck it up Buttercup and go ahead and post a few. My scanner isn't working for some reason though so I got my mom to scan them and e-mail them to me (Thanks Mom!) Here are the *shudder* results.

These first two are from S.B.R.A. Provincial Finals in 2007 (in Regina) My last year running Cessa. Hey the poor girl deserved to retire (even if she didn't want to) she was 26 then!Note in the first pic I lost my outside stirrup. I hate when I do that! Also please excuse the funny faces, I had to smooch to her after she rates and starts to turn. (made for some interesting pics)

This is Applejack's first time somewhere besides a regular jackpot. Once again its S.B.R.A. Prov. Finals, 2008 this time (again in Regina) This was the second day and he was a bit better. The first day he stopped and thought "what the h..." when he saw the spectators and announcers, right at 1st barrel! It may not seem like it but I was pretty sure we were going to hit this barrel or just squeak past, that would be the reason for the "oh crap" look on my face. I was very focused on trying to get him past the barrel.

Yup, once again S.B.R.A. Prov. Finals, this past season's - 2009 (not Regina though, this was Moose Jaw). I have to say I actually kinda like this picture (wow! lol) Maybe because I'm not looking down. I do that a lot when running the pattern and have to really work on that for next season! Note once again no outside stirrup! I cowgirl'd up and kicked hard all the way to 3rd (this is 2nd barrel) and all the way home. The whole time praying that I'd be able to stop safely. What do ya know, 1 stride before I asked him to stop my foot slid back into that stirrup! :o